SAN Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua chided the decision of the PBA technical committee to nullify the basket of Mo Tautuaa due to offensive interference in the final seconds of Game One of the Philippine Cup Finals.
Chua said the technical committee led by deputy commissioner Eric Castro decided the match after the dunk by Tautuaa at the final 56-second mark that gave San Miguel a 97-96 lead was nullified with 6.2 seconds left after a review.
Chua questioned why the technical committee had to make a review on the basket that didn’t even draw a complaint from the TNT bench after Tautuaa made the dunk that bounced at the back of the rim, and went straight up before falling in.
SMB weighs protest: 'That’s the exact opposite of the right call'
“Kahit sino eh, walang nagrereklamo sa kabila (TNT),” Chua told SPIN.ph after the controversial end to Game One which San Miguel lost, 99-96 to TNT. “They (technical committee) decided the game for us.”
The PBA vice chairman even cited a similar incident involving Russel Westbrook in the NBA.
“Kahit sinong makakita. Nangyari kay Westbrook ‘yan eh,” said Chua.
Castro, during a press conference, cited the PBA rule stating that “interference occurs during a shot when an offensive player causes the backboard to vibrate or grasp the basket in such a way that, in the judgement of the official, the ball has been caused to enter the basket.”
Chua also lamented Castro calling a press conference after Game 1, which he said pre-empted the plans of San Miguel to protest the result of the match.
As per PBA rules, the Beermen can file a protest until 12 noon on the day after the game or, in this case, on Monday.
READ PBA defends offensive interference call on Tautuaa dunk
“Kasi pinangunahan kami. Alam na magpo-protesta kami, nag-presscon? Tama ba ‘yun? Parang pinreempt nila ‘yung gagawin namin… Alam na magpo-protesta kami, nagpa-presscon,” said Chua.
Chua claimed that Castro told him, SMB team governor Robert Non, and team manager Gee Abanilla shortly after Game 1 that the play was no longer reviewable if the clock ran out.
But Chua claimed PBA commissioner Willie Marcial told him otherwise.
“Ako, si Robert at saka si Gee Abanilla, ang tanong ko sa kanya, kunwari walang jumpball, walang deadball, nag-shoot sila, mag-mintis, na-rebound namin, tapos ang oras, paano ‘yun? I-rereview niyo pa rin ‘yun,” said Castro.
“Pero in front of us, sinabi niya, hindi. Tinawagan ko si Comm, sabi ko paano kapag ganito, rereviewhin pa ba ‘yun? Oo, rereviewhin. Technical committee niya, hindi niya alam? Iba ang sinasabi ng commissioner. Iba ang sinasabi ng (technical committee) head at deputy commissioner,” said Chua.
Chua also criticized one of the referees who, he claimed, had an altercation with a fan on their way to the hallway of the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
“’Yung isang referee nila, naglalakad palabas, nginaratan ‘yung mga fans,” said Chua.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
